Spurs keeper Gomes goes

Tottenham have announced that goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has joined German side Hoffenheim on loan until the end of the season.

Gomes had fallen well down the pecking order at Tottenham in the last two years following the arrivals of Brad Friedel and Hugo Lloris.

The Brazilian was keen to secure a move back to his homeland in order to try to win back his place in the national squad ahead of the 2014 World Cup, but the 31-year-old this evening joined Hoffenheim after the Bundesliga side made an approach in the last 24 hours.

The Brazil international joined from PSV in 2008 and went on to become a regular under Harry Redknapp, but a series of high-profile errors saw the former Spurs boss bring in Brad Friedel and Gomes and has struggled to get into the starting XI ever since.

The arrival of Hugo Lloris from Lyon last summer meant Gomes dropped even further down the pecking order. His last appearance for the London club came in November 2011 and he has rarely made the bench in the last 18 months.

Gomes is just one of a number of squad players Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is looking to move on before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas look set to move to QPR while Tottenham have also given permission for Fulham to talk to midfielder Tom Huddlestone.

Andros Townsend may also leave on loan, while young right-back Adam Smith has extended his loan spell at Millwall.

Villas-Boas played down talk of a last-ditch attempt to bring in a marquee signing yesterday following the club’s 1-1 draw at Norwich.

The Portuguese has been heavily linked with a move for Internacional striker Leandro Damiao and other hitmen such as Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez and his team-mate Bafetimbi Gomis.

Internacional last night played down talk of Damiao leaving, with the club’s director of football Luis Cesar Souto de Moura telling Brazilian website Lancenet: “Leandro Damiao will only leave if there is a very quick negotiation, but no official offer has been made.

“Damiao has a lot of quality, is a goalscorer, was the top scorer in the Olympics and he is a very important player. Internacional understand that it’s extremely difficult, very difficult, for Leandro Damiao to leave now.”

Ireland and former Cork City striker Sean Maguire faces a nervous wait to discover the full extent of a hamstring injury which forced him out of Preston North End’s 2-2 draw with Fulham just minutes after scoring.